Can-opener.



J. N. CAYO. CAN OPENER.

APPLICATION HbED DEC. 22.19%6- RENEWED JULY 6.1918.

1 ,%?6, 620 Patented Aug. 20, 1918.

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CAN-OPENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 20, 1 918.

Application filed December 2'2, 1916, Serial No. 138,430. Renewed July e, 1918. Serial No. 243,707.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JULIUS N. Caro, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Gary, in the county of Lake and State of Indiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Can-0peners, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention has reference to can openers so constructed as to eiiiciently cut a circular opening in the top of the can, and is directed more specifically to the adjustable cutting means, and is designed primarily as an improvement upon Patent No. 1,189,058, and granted to me under date of June 27 1916.

Furthermore, I contemplate the production of a can opener of the above stated character which may be manufactured at comparatively low cost, is efiicient in use, and may be readily operated, and one whereby the same may be applied to cans of different sizes for cutting an opening in the can of the desired diameter.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel features, details of construction and combination of parts which will hereinafter be more fully set forth, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and pointed out in the appended claim.

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a can opener constructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the adjustable cutter; and

Figs. 3 and a are detail views of the opener.

Referring more particularly to the accompanying drawing, in which like characters of reference refer to corresponding parts in the several views, use is made of a can opener comprisin a ircular housing 5 preferably constructe of sheet metal or the like material and provided at its lower end with an annular flange 6. The flange 6 of the'housing is secured to a base plate 7 as denoted by the character 8 and this base plate 7 not only performs the purpose of closing the housing against the entrance of dust or dirt therein, but the corner portions 9 of the base plate protrude beyond the marginal edge of the base flange 6, thus serving as grips affording convenient means for holding the opener during the opening action of a can or the like. An operating crank 10 is employed having its horizontal shaft portion 11 extending across the lower portion of the housing andmounted in bearings 12 in the wall of the housing. The shaft 11 is provided adjacent one end thereof with a spur gear 13, one side of said gear projecting through an elongated slot 1a provided in the base plate 11. Secured to the central portion of the base plate 7 and depending therefrom is a pin 15 on the free terminal ofwhich is fixedly secured a circular plate 16 provided with a pair of diametrically arranged spurs 17, adapted upon the application of the opener to a can, to penetrate said can, thus preventing any accidental movement of the opener during the cutting of the can. This circular plate 16 is spaced from the outer face of the base plate 7 to define between the onfronting faces of the circular plate and the plate a space 18. Mounted upon the pin 15 for rotary movement and rotating in the space 18, is a circular cutting plate 19, of a diameter greater than the diameter of the circular plate 16 to expose the gear openings20 for the reception of the spurs of the gear 13.

I employ in connection with a can opener of the above stated character, means for adapting the opener to cut circular openings in cans of different diameters as so desired, and to this end, use is made of an adjustable cutter 21. This cutter 21 is preferably constructed of high tempered steel or the like material and is stamped from a single piece of material to provide the same with a laterally extending elongated arm 22 provided at the outer extremity thereof with an angular cutting blade 23. Formed on the opposite end of the arm 22 is a broadened flat fork-shaped head 24, and owing to the specific configuration of this head, that is to say, the limbs 25 thereof being arranged in spaced parallelism one to the other, defines between the limbs and in axial alinenient with the arm 22 a Ushaped slot 26 adapting the limbs 25 to straddle the pin 15. Owing to the fact that the material of the adjustable cutter forming the head is of a width greater than the width of the arm 22, provides at the point of intersection of the head with the arm a pair of horizontal shoulders 27. The head 24: is slidably mounted between the confronting faces of the circular plate 16 and the circular cutting plate 19 for a horizontal sliding movement, and the rotation of the adjustable cutter independent of the circular cutting plate, is accomplished due to the arm 22 operating in a U-shaped b min guide 28 secured to the bot-tom face oithe circular cutting plate 19 in juxtaposition to its marginal edge, While the provisionoi'the shoulders 27 limits the outward horizontal movement of the adjustable cutterfand further the curved connectingportion 29 of the slot 26 serves to limit the inward stroke or movement 01: the adjustable cutter. V

in briefly describing the operation of the device, it is to be stated that when it is desired to open the can, the spurs'l? of the circular plate 16 are forced into the can, the adjustable cutter moved in a lateral or horizontal position to the point of cutting a circular opening in the top of the can of the desired diameter and then upon the turning of the crank 1O will impart a rotary. movementto the circular, cutting plate 19 which in turn moves the adjustable cutter in a circular path to. perform the complete cutting Within tlleCill]. of a circular opening.

. rom the foregoing description,takenin connection with the accompanying drawing, the advantages of construction and the methodof operation will be readily appain the art to which the rent to those skilled invention relates, and while i have descrihcd the principles of operation of the invention,

together with the device which I now consider to be the best embodiment thereof I desire to have it understood that the device shown is merely illustrative, and that such changes may be made when desired as are Within the scope of the appended claim. l fhat is claimed as-11eW,is:' A can opener comprising a base plate, a

casing carried therebyra shaft journaled in said casing, a enurgearon said shaft extending through a clot in the base plate,-apin carried by said base plate and projecting below the same, 'a holding plate carriectby the end oi saidpinand spaced from the base plate, a circular plate havingopenings there- JULIUS a: dire. 

